Committee publication · Correspondence · 16 July 2026
PSA's performance review report for HCPC 2025-26.
Summary
The Professional Standards Authority's annual performance review of the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) for 2025–26 assesses the regulator against 18 Standards of Good Regulation. The HCPC met 16 of 18 Standards. It performed strongly on equality, diversity and inclusion and maintained accurate registers and fair registration processes. However, it failed Standards 15 and 18: fitness-to-practise (FTP) cases are progressing too slowly (open caseload increased 41%), with avoidable delays in 40% of audited cases, and support for parties involved in FTP remains inconsistent.
Key findings
- HCPC met 16 out of 18 Standards; failed Standards 15 (timeliness of FTP process) and 18 (support for parties in FTP). Open FTP caseload increased 41% to 4,318 cases; cases older than one year rose 59% to 2,399.
- Audit of 42 closed FTP cases found avoidable, significant delays in 42% of cases, often exceeding six weeks with no meaningful progression, despite HCPC's capacity to act. Most significant delays occurred at Investigating Committee stage.
- HCPC demonstrated strong EDI performance: published EDI quality indicators for education providers, continued mandatory staff training, analysed FTP data for unfairness, and engaged with external partners on Islamophobia and antisemitism. Identified statistically significant difference in FTP thresholds by protected characteristic but committed to further analysis.
- Registration processes operate efficiently for UK applicants (median <1 week); international applications now take 12 weeks median. New requirements introduced November 2025 for international applicants include standards mapping and prohibition on post-submission information, but insufficient data yet to assess impact.
- FTP referrals increased 41% (3,049 total) in fifth consecutive annual increase; HCPC reallocating resources. Investigation quality improved since 2022/23; 86% of cases gathered sufficient information. FTP frontloading process showed positive impact: 6 of 7 internally frontloaded and 3 of 5 externally frontloaded cases progressed without delays.
Tone
FactualTopics
Key actors
Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), Professional Standards Authority (PSA), Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Health and Social Care Committee, Edge Hill University, General Osteopathic Council (GOsC)
Notable line
“The HCPC continues to take too long to progress FTP cases, and its open caseload has increased again this year.”
Key Quotes
“… we identified avoidable and/or unexplained significant delays in approximately 40% of cases.”
“Stakeholders also continue to tell us about delays in the HCPC's FTP process and the impact these can have on the wellbeing of registrants.”
“Poor communication, such as failing to provide updates on case progression, can compound the stress and harm caused by the process.”
“… publication of the EDI quality indicators provided strong evidence of progressive improvement and considered they were a positive development.”
“The overall registration process seems a lot more efficient with newly qualified practitioners getting registered promptly.”
“Time delays are specifically an issue for Music Therapists that have trained in Ireland who want to register and work in the UK.”
“In accordance with our escalation policy, we have provided an update letter regarding our concerns to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and Health and Social Care Committee Chair.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗